Lego Masters & 9 Other Reality Competition Shows, Ranked By Grand Prize Value

A hybrid of the social drama of reality shows and the high-stakes competition of game shows, quote-unquote “reality competition” series are almost always captivating. Some showcase talents, whether it involves fashion design, music, or culinary arts. Others test contestant’s raw strength and stamina.

Whatever the case, contestants can expect that there’s a big reward waiting for the grand winner, and it’s usually cash. Here’s how reality competitions stack up based on the cash grand prize that the winner receives in the end.

10 Lego Masters: $100,000

Based on a British show, the U.S. version of Lego Masters started airing on Fox in 2020. As the name of the show suggests, it is focused on showcasing anything and everything Lego. Throughout each episode, contestants are given a certain number of hours to complete an elaborate build. In the end, the team with the worst builds in the eyes of the judges is sent home.

Meanwhile, the teams that go on to the finals get to compete for the show’s ultimate cash prize. Lego Masters is hosted by Will Arnett, who is also known for voicing Lego Batman.

9 The Circle: $100,000

This show is as much a social experiment as it is a reality show. Here, contestants move into the same building but never meet face to face. Instead, all interactions are done through The Circle app where they’re supposed to try to make as many friends as possible. They also have to participate in a variety of games, and, in the end, the least popular contestant is eliminated. These eliminations continue until the finale where the most popular contestant gets to bring home the cash prize.

8 Top Chef: $250,000

Having run for 18 seasons, Top Chef is considered to be one of the most successful cooking competition shows today. Each season introduces viewers to 15 new executive chefs and restaurant owners who battle it out in the kitchen for the ultimate cash prize.

So far, Top Chef has received 32 Emmy nods and two wins, and their secret to success might be their commitment to making the show feel genuine. “What you see is what really happened, and it only happened once, the time that you see it,” host Padma Lakshmi tells Deadline. “I think people can sense that.”

7 Master Chef: $250,000

Aside from being one of Top Chef’s biggest rival shows, Master Chef represents Chef Gordon Ramsay’s television empire. His culinary competition for home cooks has been airing on Fox since 2010. Since then, many of the show’s winners have become celebrities in their own right, including Christine Hà, a visually impaired home cook who dominated and eventually won the third season.

For her, though, it’s not really the cash prize—and subsequent cookbook deal—that matters most. Ha tells Industries for the Blind and Visually Impaired, “Knowing that I’ve been able to help people0151that is the best thing of all.”

6 Big Brother: $500,000

Without a doubt, Big Brother is one of the most successful reality competition shows on CBS, having been on the air for 22 seasons so far. Hosted by Julie Chen Moonves, the show sees a group of contestants move into a single house where they live together as various cameras and microphones record their every movement. Each week, the houseguests are asked to vote who would be booted out of the house. In the end, the remaining Houseguest wins the grand cash prize.

5 American Ninja Warrior: $1 Million

American Ninja Warrior is a reality competition show that’s focused on pushing contestants to their limits. Everyone goes through multiple rounds of competition, although the objective always remains the same: finish the obstacle course in the shortest amount of time possible.

This would give you the opportunity to conquer Mt. Midoriyama and win $1 million. Longtime fans of the show would note that this is easier said than done. In fact, throughout the show’s 12-season run, only two contestants have managed to do this. This includes Drew Drechsel, who was charged with child sex crimes in 2020.

4 America’s Got Talent: $1 Million

Amrerica’s Got Talent (AGT) is a reality competition that practically welcomes all sorts of talent, so long as it’s something that can be performed onstage. In addition, the other thing that sets it apart from other talent shows is that AGT features a golden buzzer.

When used, it can send a contestant to the next round regardless of the other judges’ votes. In recent years, the golden buzzers have launched many acts to stardom. That said, fans have had mixed feelings about some of the contestants who got the golden buzzer advantage.

3 The Challenge: $1 Million

In this long-running MTV reality show, players are tested to their limits like no other. At the same time, the contestants have to make alliances in the hopes of going all the way and taking the grand prize.

What’s different about this show is that it initially featured previous cast members of shows like The Real World, Road Rules, and Are You the One? Throughout the episodes, players are subjected to some of the most physically grueling challenges imaginable. This is all done to determine how far everyone is willing to go in order to win.

2 Survivor: $1 Million

Survivor is a reality competition show that sees contestants try to outlast each other while trying to survive in the middle of nowhere with just the clothes on their back. Throughout the episodes, players are subjected to several intense physical challenges.

To survive, they must learn to forge alliances, as whoever gets voted out is forced to leave the game. Whoever remains in the end gets $1 million. Meanwhile, in celebration of the show’s 20th anniversary, twenty previous winners were brought back for Winners at War where they competed for $2 million.

1 The Amazing Race: $1 Million

Hosted by Phil Keoghan, the show sees teams race all over the world to win $1 million dollars, plus bragging rights. So far, The Amazing Race has already traveled to more than 89 countries, covering every single continent, with the exception of Antarctica.

Once they arrive at a destination, teams are required to complete a challenge either together or alone. At the same time, they also have to watch out for certain game twists that can ultimately lead to elimination. Three teams typically compete in the final leg where the race to $1 million takes place.